Disease-related outcomes influence prevalence of falls in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of falls, with potential adverse outcomes. There is a considerable variation across studies regarding the prevalence of falls and its correlation with clinical data, disease-related outcomes and physical performance tests. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of falls and its association with clinical data, disease-related outcomes and physical performance tests. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 113 RA patients were divided into 3 groups - "non-fallers", "sporadic fallers" and "recurrent fallers" - and compared in terms of clinical data, Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), lower-limb tender and swollen joint count, disability (Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index [HAQ-DI]), Foot Function Index (FFI), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed-up-and-go Test (TUG) and 5-Time Sit Down-To-Stand Up Test (SST5). Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the associations between the studied variables and the occurrence of falls, estimating odds ratios (ORs). We also analyzed the correlation between disease outcome measures (HAQ-DI and CDAI) and physical tests (BBS, TUG, SST5). RESULTS: Falls and fear of falling were reported by 59 (52.21%) and 71 (64.5%) patients, respectively. Significant associations were found between "recurrent fallers" and vertigo (OR=3.42; P=0.03), fear of falling (OR=3.44; P=0.01), low income (OR=2.02; P=0.04), CDAI (OR=1.08; P<0.01), HAQ-DI (OR=3.66; P<0.01), Lower-limb HAQ (OR=3.48; P<0.01), FFI-pain (OR=1.24; P=0.03), FFI-total (OR=1.23; P=0.04), lower-limb tender joint count (OR=1.22; P<0.01), BBS score (OR=1.14; P<0.01), TUG score (OR=1.13; P=0.03) and SST5 score (OR=1.06; P=0.02). On multivariate analysis, CDAI was the only significant predictor of recurrent falls (OR=1.08; P<0.01). Physical performance test scores (BBS, TUG, SST5) were correlated with the CDAI and HAQ-DI. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of falls in RA is high, most influenced by disease-related outcomes and linked to worse performance on physical tests (BBS, TUG and SST5).

Gingival granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis) as a primary manifestation of the disease.

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a potentially lethal disease characterized by systemic necrotizing vasculitis, which affects small- and medium-sized blood vessels and is often associated with serum cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody. The upper and lower respiratory tract and kidney are the most involved sites, but oral lesions can be identified in 6-13% of the cases, whereas in only 2% of the cases, oral manifestations represent the first signal of the disease usually as gingival swellings or unspecific ulcerations. Without treatment, the mainstay of which is the combination of immunosuppressants and systemic corticosteroids, GPA may run a fatal course. In this report we describe an original case of GPA affecting a 75-year-old female patient referred to our service due to a gingival swelling with 3-month duration. Although the patient was correctly diagnosed and promptly treated, she died 3 months after the initial diagnosis.

Prognostic factors of low bone mineral density in systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the results of bone densitometry in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), evaluating the prognostic factors of low bone mineral density (BMD) in fertile and postmenopausal patients, and comparing to a control healthy group. METHODS: Cross-sectional study analysing 61 female SSc patients, aged 25 to 51 years, who performed a bone densitometry using dual x-ray absorptiometry. BMD values (lumbar spine, femoral neck, Ward and trochanter) infertile and postmenopausal patients were compared according to SSc clinical variant (limited and diffuse), race, previous use of drugs (corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide) and bone mass index (BMI). These results were compared with 47 fertile and 60 postmenopausal healthy women; multivariate linear regression analysis was used to study the influence of the variables of interest in the BMD results. RESULTS: Twenty-seven SSc patients presented osteopenia and 14 densitometric osteoporosis. No statistical association was found between BMD values and SSc clinical variants, race and previous use of corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide, in the fertile and in the postmenopausal groups. Fertile SSc patients were paired by age and race with the control group, but BMI (p = 0.035) was significantly lower in the SSc group. BMD values of lumbar spine (p = 0.070, statistical trend), femoral neck (p = 0.003), Ward (p < 0.001) and trochanter (p = 0.003) were significantly lower in the SSc group. Postmenopausal SSc patients were paired by age and race with the control group, but BMI (p < 0.001) was also significantly lower in the SSc group. Age at menopause (p = 0.006) was also significantly lower and time from menopause (p < 0.001) was significantly higher in the SSc group. BMD values of femoral neck (p < 0.001), Ward (p < 0.001) and trochanter (p = 0.001) were significantly lower in the SSc group. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that BMI was the main variable influencing BMD in the fertile and postmenopausal groups. CONCLUSION: In the present study, BMD results in fertile and postmenopausal SSc patients were independent of the SSc clinical variants, race and previous use of corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide. A low BMD in appendicular sites was observed infertile and postmenopausal SSc patients when compared to a control healthy group, associated to a low BMI.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV and multiple aortic aneurysms--a case report.

Beside atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysms can be part of the clinical spectrum of many systemic diseases, including infectious, inflammatory, genetic and, less often, congenital disorders. A 48-year-old white man presented with multiple large aneurysms of the aorta and its main branches. Medical history was unremarkable except for the presence of a softened abdominal mass since he was 28 years old. On the physical examination, an arterial murmur was heard over the left carotid artery and a palpable mass was noted in the whole right side of the abdomen. No skin or joint abnormalities were noted. Aortography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance angiography showed multiple large aneurysms of the descending thoracic and abdominal aorta. Aneurysms of the innominate, left subclavian, and carotid arteries were also seen. This case resembles those previously reported, in which multiple aortic aneurysms were associated with abnormalities of the type III procollagen gene (COL3A1). Although the classic stigmas of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV were lacking, this genetic disease may be the cause of the multiple aneurysms in this patient.